1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improved constructions of cut-resistant knitted gloves containing glass filaments and para-aramid fiber. The gloves have improved comfort and abrasion resistance in part because of the addition of a mobile companion yarn in the knit structure.
2. Description of Related Art
Cut-resistant gloves are commercially available that are knit with para-aramid fiber yarns plated to such things as cotton, with the layer of cotton located on the inside of the glove next to the skin. The cotton helps improve the comfort of the glove because para-aramid fibers can be abrasive to the skin. U.S. Pat. No. 6,044,493 to Post discloses a protective material such as a glove comprising a plurality of cut-resistant strands and a plurality of elastic strands knitted together to form a plated knit in which the cut-resistant strands form the outer surface and the elastic strands form the inner surface of the material.
In an effort to improve the cut performance of cut-resistant yarns, materials with high hardness have been combined with cut-resistant yarns. U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,512 to Dunbar et al. discloses cut-resistant yarn, fabric and gloves made from a single yarn comprising at least one flexible cut-resistant fibrous material and at least another material having a high level of hardness. U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,400 to Hummel discloses cut-resistant fabric and gloves made from two different yarns, one that contains cut-resistant fiber and one that contains fibers having high hardness. One of the two yarns is located predominantly on the exterior of the glove and the other predominantly on the interior. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 5,965,223 to Andrews et al. discloses a protective fabric and glove that has, at a minimum, an outer layer made with a yarn composed of an abrasive material plated to an inner layer of inherently cut-resistant or high-tensile strength material.
Bare glass fiber, while having high hardness, is also very brittle, easily abraded, and is highly irritating to the skin. One solution to this skin irritation problem has been to use fiberglass in the form of what has generally been referred to as composite yarns or wrapped yarns; that is, filaments of glass fiber are covered by a plurality of helically wrapped yarns. Representative yarns and processes for making such yarns as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,628,172 to Kolmes et al. and 5,845,476 to Kolmes. These wrappings generally are closely spaced and/or tightly wrapped around the core fiberglass filaments so as to get good coverage, but the unintended result is these composite or wrapped yarns tend to be stiff.
Further, such wrapped yarns help prevent skin irritation as long as the composite yarns remained undamaged. Unfortunately, during normal use, such gloves get nicks and abrasions that uncover the fiberglass which can irritate the skin even though the gloves remain useable.
Therefore what is needed is an improved glove construction for improved comfort and abrasion resistance during normal use.